Nelly and Ashanti ‘married in secret ceremony six months ago’

Stars rekindled their romance last year and announced they were expecting a baby together in April

Maira Butt
Thursday 20 June 2024 11:20 BST
Comments
Ashanti shows off pregnancy bump with sweet video message to Nelly

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Ashanti and Nelly are married, having reportedly tied the knot over six months ago.

The musicians confirmed they would be having a child together in April this year, sending fans into a nostalgic meltdown. The couple were first linked back in the early 2000s when they were two of the biggest stars in entertainment.

They rekindled their romance last year, announcing their engagement and pregnancy this year.

Now, it appears that the “Foolish” and “Dilemma” artists had kept a big part of their reunion under wraps, as new documents seen by TMZ and People reveal they have actually been married since 27 December 2023. The marriage appears to have taken place in Nelly’s hometown of St Louis County.

Earlier this week, Ashanti had discussed her dream wedding with Entertainment Tonight, even going as far as to say that she wanted to deliver her baby before celebrating the union.

Although she kept the date a secret, she had hinted that she hoped it would be a “combination of fashion, glam, Caribbean vibes,” adding, “I have to have a beach, an ocean, sunshine, palm trees!”

The star also opened up about the moment the rapper popped the question as she explained she had not been expecting the move at all.

“I definitely had one of his T-shirts and his boxers,” she joked.

But she added that the proposal was nevertheless a “beautiful, intimate, moment”.

Nelly and Ashanti rekindled their romance last year
Nelly and Ashanti rekindled their romance last year (Instagram @ashanti)

Back in April, Ashanti had shared the news of her engagement with Essence.

“This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope and anticipation,” she said. “Motherhood is something that I have looked forward to, and sharing this with my family, fiancé and loyal fans, who have been so supportive of my career, is an amazing experience.”

Speculation first began to swirl around the pair after they were spotted at Nelly’s 11th Black and White Ball at the Four Seasons Hotel in St Louis in December, and eagle-eyed fans noticed Ashanti had what seemed to be a baby bump.

In a moment when both were on stage, the singer notably left her hands on her stomach. The rapper took notice and did the same, leading them to make eye contact and burst into laughter. Fans took this as a sign that there was a little one on the way.

Back in September, Nelly shared on Boss Moves with Rasheeda that the pair had gotten back together and that the reconciliation “surprised both of us”.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in